Trine University receives $4 million READI grant for Fort Wayne project

FORT WAYNE — The Northeast Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA) has approved a $4 million Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative (READI) grant for Trine University’s new facility in Fort Wayne.

The grant is part of $15 million in funding announced Nov. 30 for five projects across northeast Indiana.

"These investments in northeast Indiana will attract and retain more people to a growing area of the state," Vincent Ash, vice president of development at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, said in a press release. "Investments in the areas of housing, education and the arts, as reflected in these projects, will ensure Indiana remains an attractive location to live and work and help boost prosperity across the region. Investments into these quality-of-life and quality-of-opportunity projects is the true essence of what the READI program was intended for."

Announced in June, Trine University Fort Wayne will include approximately 110,000 square feet of space and will house programs in the university’s College of Health Professions.

“Trine University has been proud to call northeast Indiana home for more than 135 years, and we are grateful for this investment in and vote of confidence for Trine Fort Wayne from the Regional Development Authority,” said Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D., Trine University president. “We are proud to work together with many individuals, organizations, companies and agencies to improve the economy and quality of life for this region.”

The Trine University Fort Wayne project has already received multimillion-dollar pledges from the Steel Dynamics, the Surack Family Foundation, the James Foundation and Trine alumnus and Board of Trustees member Larry Reiners and his wife Judy.

READI projects

Through READI, 17 regions across the state that represent all 92 counties are moving forward with projects and programs designed to enhance Indiana's regions for current and future generations of Hoosiers. Collectively, the state's $500 million investment is expected to yield an additional $9.86 billion public, private, and nonprofit dollars invested (19.72:1 investment leverage ratio) in enhancing Indiana's quality of life, quality of place, and quality of opportunity.

At the end of 2021, The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) granted the RDA $50 million to invest in projects through Indiana's READI program. This new batch of funding comes just three months after the RDA approved $18 million for six projects in Northeast Indiana.

In addition to Trine University Fort Wayne, the RDA provided grants to Lofts at Headwaters, a housing project in downtown Fort Wayne; Arts Campus in downtown Fort Wayne; a housing project in DeKalb County; and the Cameron Education and Innovation Center in Steuben County.

Trine University Fort Wayne

Opening in fall 2024, the approximately $40 million Trine University Fort Wayne campus, developed in close partnership with Parkview Health, will employ 100 faculty and staff and serve nearly 700 students in Trine’s College of Health Professions (CHP), which currently includes its physical therapy, physician assistant, speech-language pathology, nursing and surgical technology programs. Located near Parkview Regional Medical Center, the new space will allow CHP to add new programs including occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, medical science and emergency medical sciences.

In addition to state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories, the new facility will feature, in partnership with the Parkview Mirro Center, an innovative Simulated Patient Care Center (SimCenter) including mock surgery and Emergency Room suites and exam and patient rooms. The building also will contain ample resources for student support, including a library, bookstore, gathering area, academic support and counseling services.